Clemson English Department Manual and Bylaws 2015 – 2016
Department of English Manual 2015-2016
Administrative Staff
Lee Morrissey, Chair
Cameron Bushnell, Associate Chair
Elizabeth Rivlin, Director of Undergraduate Studies
Sean Morey, Director of Graduate Studies—MAPC
Kimberly Manganelli, Director of Graduate Studies—MAE
Cynthia Haynes, Director of First-Year Composition
Beverly Pressley, Fiscal Analyst
Brennan Beck, Student Services Program Coordinator
Emily Clarke, Administrative Assistant
Programs and Activities
Wayne Chapman, Director, Center for Electronic and Digital Publishing
Michael LeMahieu, Director, Pearce Center for Professional Communication
Kimberly Manganelli and Erin Goss, Advisors, Sigma Tau Delta
Dominic Mastroianni, Library Liaison
David Coombs, Honors Liaison
Will Stockton, Discourse and Doughnuts Series
Amy Monaghan, Southern Circuit Film Series
Tharon Howard, Director, Multimedia Authoring Teaching & Research Facility
Barbara Ramirez, Secretary to the Faculty
Elizabeth Rivlin, Advisor, English Majors Organization
Departmental Committees
Advanced Writing Committee
Five appointed faculty members
Lindsay Thomas
Mike LeMahieu (through spring 2016)
Christopher Benson (through spring 2016)
Megan Eatman (through spring 2016)
Garry Bertholf (through spring 2016)
Advisory Committee
The Committee shall consist of six elected members: two full professors, three tenured or tenure-track faculty
of any rank, and one non-voting Special Faculty member.
Professor: David Blakesley (through Spring 2016), CHAIR
Professor: Susanna Ashton (through Spring 2016)
Steve Katz (through Spring 2017)
Gabriel Hankins (through Spring 2017)
Michael LeMahieu (through Spring 2017)
Lecturer: Megan MacAlystre (through Spring 2017)
Assessment Committee
Consists of faculty holding the following positions:
1. Directors of Graduate Studies
Kimberly Manganelli (M.A.E.)
Sean Morey (M.A.P.C)
2. Director of Undergraduate Studies
Elizabeth Rivlin
3. Director of First-Year Composition
Cynthia Haynes
5. Chair, Curriculum Committee
TBD
6. One Full professor (appointed for two years by Chair):
Tharon Howard
Bachelor of Arts in English Committee
Five faculty members total, chaired by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Four other members (including
1 prof., 1 assoc., 1 asst., and 1 of any rank among tenured/tenurable faculty) as appointed by Department
Chair.
CHAIR, Dir. of Undergraduate Studies: Elizabeth Rivlin
Jillian Weise (through spring 2016)
Will Stockton (Through Spring 2016)
Walt Hunter (Through Spring 2016)
Lindsay Thomas (Through spring 2016)
Curriculum Committee
Five faculty members (elected for two years), and one student. Six members total. Two full professors, two
tenured or tenure –track faculty, and one faculty member of any rank in tenure track, plus one undergraduate
English major (To be appointed for one year by the Chair).
Tenured/Tenure-track Faculty: Sean Morey (through Spring 2016)
Tenured/Tenure-track Faculty: Andy Lemons (through Spring 2017)
Tenured/Tenure-track Faculty: A. Naimou (Chair: through Spring 2016)
One Professor: Steve Katz (through Spring 2016)
One Professor: Wayne Chapman (through Spring 2016)
One undergraduate English major : Vacant
Honors and Awards Committee
5 members total: Honors and Awards Coordinator as Chair (usually the Director of Undergraduate Studies),
the two Directors of Graduate Studies, the Director of First-Year Composition, and one other member of the
faculty appointed by the Department chair for two years.
CHAIR, Honors and Awards Coordinator: Elizabeth Rivlin
Sean Morey (Dir. of MAPC)
Kimberly Manganelli (Dir. of MAE)
Erin Goss (Sigma Tau Delta representative) (2016)
Cynthia Haynes (Dir. of First-Year Composition) (2014)
First-Year Composition Committee
The Committee shall consist of seven members: the Director of First-Year Composition, who shall act as chair,
four other regular faculty members elected by the department, and, appointed by the department chair with the
concurrence of the chair of the Committee, one non-voting member from the pool of graduate students currently teaching first-year composition and a second non-voting member who is the program director’s graduate assistant.
1. Director of First-Year Composition
Cynthia Haynes
2. Four regular faculty members (for two year terms)
Erin Goss (2016)
Dominic Mastroianni (2016)
Sean Morey (2016)
Will Stockton (2016)
3. Two non-voting graduate representatives
Hayley Zertuche (Director’s student assistant)
Vacant (TA appointed by the Dept Chair)
MAE Committee
Director of Graduate Studies serves as Chair, plus four tenured/tenure-track graduate faculty (appointed for
two years by Chair in consultation with Advisory Committee); also one graduate student appointed by the chair.
Six members total.
CHAIR-Director of Graduate Studies (MAE): Kimberly Manganelli
Aga Skrodzka (through Spring 2016)
Keith Morris (through spring 2016)
Sean Morey (through Spring 2016)
Garry Bertholf (through Spring 2016)
MAPC Committee
Director of Graduate Studies to Chair. Membership number varies.
CHAIR, Dir. of Graduate Studies (MAPC): Tharon Howard
Graduate student (elected for one year by graduate students)
All tenured/tenure-track faculty who teach in MAPC program
Personnel Committee
Seven members total. Three full professors plus four additional Full or Associate faculty members. All elected
for two years with staggered terms
Professor Sean Williams (through Spring 2016)
Professor Susanna Ashton (through Spring 2016)
Professor Tharon Howard (through Spring 2016)
Associate Professor Jonathan Beecher Field (through Spring 2016)
Associate Professor Cynthia Haynes (through Spring 2016)
Post-Tenure Review Committee
Two elected for a year (one outside English). No members necessary at this time.
Public Events Committee
Associate Chair, Director of MATRF, and three faculty (appointed for two years by Chair in consultation with
Advisory Committee)
Cameron Bushnell, Chair
Erin Goss (2014)
Keith Morris (2014)
Will Stockton (2014)
Tharon Howard, MATRF Director
Sabbatical Committee
All elected for one-year terms. 4 members total, including the Department Chair.
Department Chair: Lee Morrissey
David Blakesley (through Spring 2016)
Keith Morris (through Spring 2016)
Rhondda Thomas (through Spring 2016)
Sophomore Literature Committee
Five faculty (appointed for two years by Chair in consultation with Advisory Committee)
Erin Goss (through spring 2016)
Garry Bertholf (through spring 2016)
David Coombs (through spring 2016)
Cameron Bushnell (through spring 2016)
Nic Brown, Chair (through spring 2016)
The South Carolina Review Editorial Committee
W. Chapman, Editor and Publisher
E. Stansell, Production Editor and Business Manager
C. Benson, Book Review Editor
C. Bushnell, Criticism Editor
K. Morris, Fiction Editor
J. Weise, Poetry Editor
S. Eisiminger, Contributing Editor
J. Morgenstern, Contributing Editor
R. Thomas, Contributing Editor
S. Ashton, Advisory Board
N. Brown, Advisory Board
M. Dugan, Advisory Board
J. Field, Advisory Board
M. LeMahieu, Advisory Board
K. Manganelli, Advisory Board
D. Mastroianni, Advisory Board
B. McGrath, Advisory Board
J. Pursley, Advisory Board
A. Skrodzka, Advisory Board
C. Wiley, Advisory Board
B. Pressley, Accounting Fiscal Analyst
Academic Rules, Policies, and Procedures
Attendance Regulations
See “Academic Regulations” of Clemson University Undergraduate Announcements, current year.
All students are required to attend the first scheduled day of classes and labs for which they are registered. If
a student cannot attend a class, then the student is responsible for contacting the instructor of that class to indicate the student’s intent to remain in that class. If a student does not attend the first class meeting or else
make contact with the instructor by the second class/lab meeting or the last day to add, whichever comes first,
then the instructor has the option to drop that student from the class/lab.
Inform each of your classes early in the semester in writing of the attendance requirements. Also inform them
in writing of what constitutes excessive absences for your course and what penalties, if any, that you exact for
such excessive absences. It is critical that you maintain detailed and accurate records of student attendance if
you intend to exact any penalties for attendance violations.
The instructor has the right to drop from a course with the grade of W (Withdrew) a student who has incurred
excessive absences provided that the drop is processed on or before the withdrawal dates for each academic
term. Prior to completing and forwarding to the Registrar’s Office the “Drop for Class Absences” card, the instructor should make every effort to inform the student of the action to be taken. However, the very reason for
initiating the drop may make impossible the extending of this courtesy. Drop cards can be obtained in the Registrar’s Office, Sikes Hall.
Please remember that in some instances you are doing neither yourself nor the student a favor by not dropping
him or her before the withdrawal date, since you are obligated to give the student a final grade if she or he is
still on the roll after the above dates.
On occasion, a student may incur an excessive number of cuts after the last date at which she or he could
have been dropped with a W. If this situation occurs, the instructor has the right of give the student an F, but
the instructor cannot officially drop the student from the class after the dates cited above.
If any situation arises (health, personal business, or professional matters) that necessitates your missing one
or more classes, please register your absence and leave online in addition to notifying the Department. The
Clemson University HR website has links with information and forms that will assist you.
Handling Academic Dishonesty (Plagiarism)
A faculty member who suspects a student of academic dishonesty can find the University’s definitions of and
procedures for handling academic dishonesty in the Undergraduate Announcements. In brief, it is the responsibility of the faculty member to file a formal written charge of academic dishonesty with the Associate Dean of
Undergraduate Academic Services before levying any penalty against the student. The faculty member may,
but is not required to inform the student. The Associate Dean of Undergraduate Academic Services will notify
the student, and the student will be informed of the procedure by which a hearing will be held. The faculty
member can levy his or her chosen penalty only after the student waives his or her right to a hearing or on the
basis of the outcome of that hearing. For a first offense, the penalty may not exceed a grade of F for the
course.
A charge of academic dishonesty must be made within 14 calendar days of the date of the last exam in the
course. A grade of I (incomplete) can be assigned if necessary until the case is resolved.
Class and Examination Schedules
The following directive from the Dean of the College is to be followed:
No teacher in the College [of Architecture, Arts and Humanities] is authorized unilaterally to change the meeting or the examination time of his class. Any necessary departure from the printed schedule is to be requested
by the Department concerned and approved by the Dean.
Final Grades
Incomplete work for undergraduate students: see “Academic Regulations” section of Clemson University Undergraduate Announcements, current year.
Incomplete work for graduate students: see “General Graduate School Regulations” section of The Graduate
School Announcements, current year.
If you find an error in recording a student’s grade in a course, contact Enrolled Student Services at 656-2174.
Indicate the course and section, the student’s name and CU ID Number, and you will be sent a Grade Correction form. Complete it and give it to the department chair. He or she will sign and send it to the Associate Chair,
who will return it to Enrolled Student Services.
Course Assignments
Each fall, the Associate Chair and various program directors will solicit the course preferences of the faculty for
the academic year to follow. Faculty members are to identify preferences for first-year, sophomore, advanced
or 300- and 400- level courses as well as 800-level seminars. The Department Chair, the Director of Undergraduate Studies, the Graduate Directors and the Scheduler use the recommendations and the course preference forms to make course assignments.
Department need will take priority in the course assignment process.
Non-ENGL courses, such as HUM (Humanities) and GW (Great Works), will be considered for assignment in
the same manner, depending on the program needs of the department, funding support, and approval of the
Chair.
Buy-Out Policy
The Department encourages faculty to seek grant funding and to pursue collaborative projects. To this end it
has developed the following policy on buy-outs for projects originating outside the Department.
Prior to making a proposal, faculty members must negotiate buy-out arrangements with the Chair, and the negotiations should be based on the following:
Faculty members can be bought out for two semesters, one course each, at ¼ of their 9-month salary. [Note
that this figure reflects the policy approved by the Academic Council in February 1999.]
When the buy-out project clearly benefits the Department as a whole, and at the Chair’s discretion, a faculty
member may be bought out at a lower rate.
In general, buy-outs should be limited to one-half the faculty member’s teaching load, meaning that a faculty
member teaching 3/3 should not go below 2/1, but in circumstances when the project benefits the Department,
and at the Chair’s discretion, alternative arrangements may be made. Untenured faculty should not teach less
than one course per term.
Workload Policy Statement (Accepted by College 09/08/2010)
Within the College of AAH, the standard teaching load for tenure track faculty is three courses per semester. It
has long been the policy to reduce this teaching load, normally to 2/2 or, in the case of department chairs to
1/1, when faculty are called upon to perform time-consuming, significant forms of service beyond that expected
of all faculty. Recognizing the signal importance of substantial, productive research to Clemson’s 20/20 goals,
the College acknowledges that faculty members engaged in such research may have their teaching workload
reduced to either 3/2 or 2/2 after application to their chair and/or to the appropriate College committee depending on departmental practice. The chair will review these class releases annually, paying particular attention to
the difference between research activity and research productivity. Faculty who are research active but not
productive in a three-year period should not expect to continue to receive teaching release. Within each department, course releases for research will be evaluated collectively and comparatively. Preferences will ordinarily be given to pre-tenure faculty and to those with a strong record of research productivity. Departments
will be responsible for insuring that research release grants advance the research profile of the College.
English Department Workload Policy (formulated on Dean Goodstein’s advice 8/15/2010)
3/3 Normal course load for TT faculty who are not research active and not involved in extraordinary service.
3/2 Course load for TT faculty involved in either limited research activity or limited extraordinary service.
2/2 Course load for TT faculty who are research active/productive and not involved in extraordinary service.
2/1 Course load for TT faculty who are research active and involved in extraordinary service.
2/1 is the floor for all faculty. EXCEPTIONS: The Chair and Associate Chair carry 1/1 loads and 1/1 may be
assigned by contract agreement with dean’s office for extraordinary service. Named professors and endowed
chair holders also normally carry a 1/1 load by contract.
Faculty on 2/2 course loads will be monitored regularly by the chair to ensure that they are not only research
active (i.e., involved in research projects) but also research productive (i.e., their activity regularly results in deliverables that serve the collective interests of the English faculty).
Directed Studies
The Department of English views directed studies as an excellent opportunity for students to pursue in-depth
research, scholarship, and learning opportunities not normally available through existing course offerings. It
also recognizes that faculty may benefit from directing independent studies because they may offer intellectually stimulating professional development opportunities which can lead to new course offerings, conference papers, and/or publications.
Students and faculty wishing to create a directed study course should complete a proposal form for the appropriate directed studies course. Undergraduates should complete the “English 437 Directed Studies Proposal”
form, which is available from the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Graduate students should complete either the “English 637 Directed Studies Proposal” form or the “English 840 Directed Studies Proposal” form,
which are available from the Graduate Program Directors. Directed studies proposals should be submitted to
the Director of Undergraduate Studies or to the appropriate Graduate Program Director at least three (3) working days prior to the last day to register or add a class. Except in extraordinary circumstances, directed studies
may not repeat content covered by a course already on the books. Also, a directed study should not have
more than four (4) students.
Graduate Thesis Committee
When an extra-departmental committee member is requested to serve on a thesis or dissertation committee
(and therefore, by University regulations, requiring a temporary adjunct faculty appointment), the director of
that committee’s graduate program will direct a note of justification and the c.v. of the extra-departmental
committee member to the Personnel Committee, which will then direct its recommendation to accept or deny
the request to the English Department Chair.
Graduate Assistantships
Awards are for one year but may be renewed for one additional year, subject to satisfactory performance.
Graduate assistants should not expect any extension beyond a second year. Summer stipends are usually
available for those graduate assistants who are officially enrolled in summer school and who devote time to
performing department duties.
Graduation
Tenured and tenure-track faculty members are required to attend one graduation ceremony each academic
year. Assignments are made on a rotation basis announced early in the fall semester.
Long Distance Calls
By state law, personal long-distance calls cannot be billed to your office telephone. We suggest that you use a
personal telephone card or mobile phones to make calls from your CU office.
Offices and Classrooms
It is advisable to lock your office door when you are not in your office. You are requested, as well, to lock
“Smart Classrooms” in Daniel after each class unless another class is scheduled to meet there the next hour.
No staff member is authorized to move furniture from one room to another. If there are special needs, contact
this office.
A university rule prohibits smoking in all buildings.
Please report to the main office any problems involving the air-conditioning/heating system, etc.
Office Hours
All faculty are to post and observe office hours. Course syllabi must include a listing of office hours and the
words “and by appointment” beside the hours designated. Please let the office staff know when you are unable to observe office hours. You must submit your office hours along with your schedule of classes to Emily
Clarke by the first day of classes each semester.
Sick Leave
Faculty members are to inform office staff if they will miss class for any reason; it is embarrassing when the
staff doesn’t know where you are, or why you’re not here, when students come to inquire. If you need more
done in your absence than simple class dismissal, please ask a colleague to speak to your class and/or administer assignments or examinations. Upon return to the classroom, faculty must request leave on-line. After
leave has been approved from total accrued sick leave, print out a copy and give to Kristin Sindorf, who documents that leave has been requested.
Sabbaticals
Sabbatical leave may be granted by the President of the University to any tenured faculty member who has
completed at least six years of full-time service with the University. The purposes of sabbatical leave are to
relieve faculty of normal duties so that they might pursue significant projects facilitating their professional
growth and development, thus enhancing their future contributions to the mission of the University. Such
leaves, therefore, are not granted automatically upon completion of the necessary period of service. Sabbaticals cannot occur more frequently than every seventh year. Other constraints operating upon the granting of
sabbatical leave may be departmental staffing, faculty workloads, and budget restrictions or limitations.
Guidelines for Applicant
Applicants requesting sabbatical leaves should prepare a proposal containing information on the goals of the
sabbatical, including supporting materials and information on how the teaching responsibilities of the applicant
will be handled while he or she is away from campus. An applicant must consult with the dept chair concerning
teaching responsibilities.
The following elements should be included in all proposals:
Does the project proposal demonstrate how the project will contribute to the development prescribed by the
department’s, college’s and university’s strategic plans?
Does the project proposal address the need for national-calibre faculty?
Does the project proposal discuss how the project will enhance the professional career of the applicant,
and thereby the department and the university?
Does the project proposal address the significance of the project and the applicant’s ability to complete it?
The request is then submitted to the Sabbatical Committee, chaired by the departmental Chair, on the appropriate form accompanied by a statement of purpose for which leave is requested.
According to the Faculty Manual, proposals should be submitted to the Departmental Chair no later than November 1.
According to the Faculty Manual, upon return from sabbatical leave, “the faculty member shall file a written report with the department chair on his/her professional activities during the leave period.” The Department also
requests that the returning faculty member shall present his/her findings to the Department.
Guidelines for the Committee
Faculty on nine-month appointment may apply for one semester’s leave with full pay or two semesters’ leave
with half pay.
A faculty member on sabbatical is expected to return to active service for at least one contract year, and also,
according to the Faculty Manual, “shall file a written report with the department chair or school director on
his/her professional activities during the leave period.” The Department also requests that the returning faculty
member shall present his/her findings to the Department.
Granting of sabbaticals may be dependent on work loads, budget restrictions, and the ability of the department
to absorb the faculty member’s teaching load.
In the case of more qualified applicants than can be accommodated by a limited number of sabbaticals, a
combination of the following factors may be taken into account: rank, quality of service at Clemson, number of
years since a previous sabbatical was awarded, and significance of the stated purpose of the sabbatical.
According to the Faculty Manual, “the departmental committee will take no longer than two weeks to submit its
recommendation.”
Photocopying
Please help the department hold cost to a minimum by not using the copies for personal use and by copying
only the amount needed. If you need large numbers of documents, make the materials available on Blackboard or take the original to a copy shop in Clemson, where the students may pick up and pay for the booklet
there.
If you require copy work for teaching purposes, the copier is located in 815 (Workroom). Please be patient and
gentle with the machine, try to leave generous and sufficient time to make your copies before a scheduled
class session and be courteous in requesting assistance from the Department staff if problems arise.
Summer School Teaching
Almost every summer school class is now taught online. If you wish to teach an online class, please make
sure you are properly trained to do so. This requires that you participate in department training sessions and
generally take advantage of the considerable CCIT resources at your disposal in order to gain sufficient expertise to conduct a successful course.
The department will try to accommodate the requests to teach summer school by tenured and tenure-track professors according to department need. A faculty member in his or her last five years before retirement will
usually be given the opportunity to teach during three consecutive summers to aid in computing retirement
compensation.
Travel and Reimbursement
When the department has funds to support travel by faculty for professional purposes, the policy of the department is primarily to support in the form of partial reimbursement travel by faculty who are listed on programs of the professional meetings and conferences they attend as readers of papers, officers of national organizations, etc. Early in the fall, you will be asked to submit a form indicating both your definite and tentative
travel plans for the fall and spring semesters. You will then be informed of the amount of reimbursement you
can expect for the entire year. Give original receipts (for accommodations and airline/train tickets, etc.) to
Beverly Pressley to process for reimbursement. If you have any questions about what expenses are allowed,
what receipts to save, and the maximum allotments for certain items, ask Beverly Pressley before you travel.
Please note that Section 129.38 of the South Carolina Appropriations Act Prohibits state funds from being used
to purchase first-class airline tickets.
If you learn that you will not be participating in the program, let Beverly Pressley know so the money can be
reassigned.
In addition, please take the following into account:
If you plan to use University transportation, place your request with Kristin Sindorf two weeks in advance of
the date you need the vehicle. If your travels necessitate renting a car while in another city, see the
Pocket Guide to Official Travel to find out what company has secured the state contract for car rental.
The following is excerpted from the Clemson University Manual, Business and Financial Affairs, General:
When specifically requested by a faculty or staff member and approved in writing in advance by the appro-
priate vice president or his designated representative, official travel to points 300 or more miles from
Clemson may be performed in personal vehicles (including aircraft) with the understanding that reimbursement for travel will not be computed on a mileage basis, but will be based on the expense which
would have been incurred by using the most appropriate of first class rail travel (excluding rail sleeping
accommodations) or minimum rate air travel, including in each case the minimum practicable other
transportation costs (bus, taxi, etc.) that would have been involved to and from depots or airports.
Reimbursements for approved travel outside the United States will be made only if the “Request for Approval of Foreign Travel” is completed and approved several weeks before the trip is taken. Please remember this.
If you want to receive any reimbursement, you must keep the original receipts for expenses other than
meals.
Please check with Beverly Pressley before using the departmental credit card. She will need a written record of expenditures, including a statement of the amount spent. Lodging cannot be charged to the departmental credit card.
Check HTTP://WWW.Comptroller.Clemson.edu/travguid.htm for complete Travel Guidelines Index.
Administrative Job Descriptions
Chair of the Department
Department Governance:
Conduct department meetings.
Use committees effectively, appointing all non-elected committee members, balancing committee participation, and establishing new ad-hoc committees as needed.
Develop long-range department programs, plans and goals.
Determine what non-essential services the department should provide to the university, community, and
state.
Implement long-range department programs, plans, goals, and policies, and oversee departmental assessment reports.
Serve as an advocate for the department.
Delegate appropriate department administrative responsibilities to individuals and committees.
Encourage faculty members to communicate ideas for improving the department.
Serve on Scheduling Committee.
Instruction:
Supervise class assignments, in conversation with the Associate Chair, program directors, and Scheduler.
Receive curriculum, course, and program recommendations from curriculum committee for transmission to
department and college for approval.
Supervise all departmental on- and off-campus programs.
Monitor the graduate program, writing programs, and general education requirements.
Monitor department examinations.
Teach appropriate courses. A faculty member assuming this administrative position should expect to teach
two courses each year.
Faculty and Staff Affairs:
Supervise faculty and staff recruitment and represent faculty and staff hiring needs to the administration.
Assign faculty responsibilities such as teaching, research, committee work, etc.
Evaluate faculty and staff performance and oversee faculty research and travel funding.
Make promotion and tenure recommendations and handle terminations.
Participate in grievance hearings and mediate in grade disputes.
Make salary recommendations.
Keep faculty and staff members informed of department, college, and institutional plans, activities, budgets,
and expectations.
Encourage and oversee appropriate collaboration.
Maintain morale and encourage faculty participation.
External Communication:
Communicate department needs to the Dean and interact with upper-level administrators.
Improve and maintain the department’s image and reputation.
Coordinate activities with outside groups.
Process department correspondence and requests for information.
Complete forms and surveys.
Initiate and maintain liaison with external agencies, private foundations, and other institutions.
Maintain strong alumni relations.
Budget and Resources:
Direct strategic allocation of revenue, consulting with faculty to set financial priorities.
Prepare and administer the department budget and oversee departmental endowments.
Set priorities for use of travel funds, in conversation with the Advisory Committee.
Seek outside funding.
Encourage faculty members to submit proposals for research grants and contracts.
Prepare required reports.
Office Management:
Manage department facilities and equipment, including maintenance and control of inventory.
Supervise and evaluate the clerical staff.
Maintain essential department records.
Professional Development:
Foster the development of each faculty member’s interests and talents.
Encourage good teaching in the department
Stimulate faculty research and publications.
Promote affirmative action.
Encourage faculty members to participate in regional and national professional meetings.
Represent the department at meetings of professional societies.
Balance own professional growth with administrative duties, maintaining an active research or creative
agenda.
Associate Chair of the Department
Assist the Department Chair with a variety of official assignments, many of them involving reports to the
Dean on faculty, job candidates, student loads, etc.
Participate in interviewing of job candidates and assist in the appointments process.
Assist the Department Chair in matters of departmental governance, instruction, and faculty affairs as outlined in the Chair’s Job Description. (Generally, External Communication, Budget and Resources, Office Management, and Professional Development are not in the purview of the Assistant Chair unless
specific assignments are delegated by the Chair of the Department.)
Function occasionally as Chair when the Chair is away.
Consult with the Chair on developing a calendar of upper-division courses, maintaining at least a twoyear’s lead in the future.
Consult with the Chair and the Scheduler on the assignment of courses to faculty.
Work with the Chair and Advisory Committee on elections, committee appointments, and long-range programs, plans, and goals.
Revise department manual for yearly distribution.
Function as liaison between the department and the Committee for the Handicapped.
Serve the Chair as mediator in student-faculty complaints, including grievance over plagiarism, drops for
excessive absences, removal of incompletes, etc., on referral by an appropriate program director.
Assist the Chair in the evaluation of faculty under review for reappointment.
Help maintain morale by informing faculty and staff of departmental, college, and institutional plans, activities, and expectations.
A faculty member with a Research Fellowship assuming this administrative position should expect to teach
two courses each year.
Serve on Scheduling Committee.
Director of Undergraduate Studies
Direct undergraduate majors and minors in English and Writing programs
Customarily teaches the gateway English 190 course.
Supervise the advising program (assigning advisees, recruiting advisers, answering questions of advisers
and advisees on matters of curriculum).
Coordinate with the university’s International Programs officer the preparation of students planning to study
abroad as well as foreign students matriculating at Clemson.
Instruct students in pre-registration advisement procedures and make other timely announcements on employment opportunities, writing contests, speakers, etc.
Answer questions from other departments about English requirements and give advice on the suitability of
English course substitutions.
Initiate course substitutions for English majors and approve same for minors.
Evaluate English credits to be transferred into Clemson.
Evaluate proposals for Directed Studies, in consultation with the Chair of the Curriculum Committee.
Prepare advising work sheets for transfer English majors.
Help with the orientation of freshman English majors.
Approve English courses to be taken in other schools.
Serve on Assessment and Honors Committee.
Direct to all graduating English majors, each semester, assessment questionnaires used in the department’s self-study.
Chair the BA Committee, to provide regular oversight of major and minor programs.
Serve as Instructor of Record on undergraduate internships.
A faculty member with a Research Fellowship assuming this administrative position should expect to teach
three courses each year
Serve on Scheduling Committee.
Director of First-Year Composition
Consult with faculty concerning problems in 100-level composition classes.
Develop and administer exemption essays for 100-level composition courses.
Chair the First-Year Composition Committee.
Develop syllabi for English 103.
Select textbooks for freshman level writing courses.
Serve on the Assessment and Douglass Award Committees.
Advise Chair on hiring of composition staff.
Advise Chair on composition-related matters such as grade appeals, transfer credits, etc., in 100-level
composition classes.
Interact with Clemson faculty at large on behalf of the first-year composition program.
Interact with local and state high school staffs on behalf of the first-year composition program.
Advise the MA in English and MAPC Committees on selection of teaching assistants.
Conduct orientation for new teaching assistants.
Conduct practica for new and experienced teaching assistants.
Coordinate advising system for teaching assistants.
Serve as liaison to the Writing Center
A faculty member with a Research Fellowship assuming this administrative position should expect to teach
three courses each year
Serve on Scheduling Committee.
Directors of Graduate Studies
Advise, register, and maintain records for all English M.A. , M.A.P.C., and Secondary Education English
emphasis M.Ed. students.
Process graduate admission and assistantship applications.
Provide information about the graduate program to prospective students.
Maintain and revise as needed the “Graduate Studies in English” brochure and/or other appropriate sites
for program dissemination (program description on department website, for example).
Assign thesis and Master’s Reading List orals committees, schedule examinations, and report results to the
Graduate School.
Chair the MA in English or MAPC Committees, which initiate and respond to suggestions for program
changes, review assistantship applications, select the best graduate paper for presentation at the English Hour, and recommend seminars to be offered.
Evaluate graduate proposals for Directed Studies, in consultation with the Chair of the Curriculum Committee.
Inform the graduate faculty of the program’s policies and of proposals for changes.
Prepare reports for the Department Chair that shall include data on applications, acceptances, aid distribution, class profiles, graduation rates, etc.
Coordinate assistantship and plan new assistants’ orientation with the Director of First-Year Composition.
Serves on Assessment and Douglass Award Committees.
Supervise summer stipend assignments.
Maintain the dossier service for graduate students.
Recommend faculty assignments for seminars
Present the Department’s views to the Graduate School on various matters, including policy questions,
admissions decisions, foreign language requirements, and the like.
A faculty member with a Research Fellowship assuming this administrative position should expect to teach
three courses each year
Serve on Scheduling Committee.
Director of Advanced Writing
Consult with faculty regarding the 304, 314, and 315 writing classes.
Chair the Advanced Writing Committee.
Develop and maintaining an effective curriculum
Train faculty (instructors, RCID instructors, and TAs)
Advise the department chair about non-tenure-track faculty hiring
Advise the scheduler about assignment of faculty to AWP courses
Assess the effectiveness of the program
Secure external funding for the program’s initiatives, when possible
Reviewing requests for credit by examination
A faculty member with a Research Fellowship assuming this administrative position should expect to teach
three courses each year
Serve on Scheduling Committee.
Writing Center Director Job Description
Duties of the Writing Center Director will include:
to provide and preserve a sense of direction for the writing center, including writing and updating a vision
statement and/or strategic plan
to shape the curriculum of the writing center
to teach in the writing center’s programs
to prepare and/or purchase materials needed in the writing center
to consult with writing center staff and with faculty on writing instruction
to select and train tutors
to supervise tutors
to evaluate tutors regularly
to keep careful records that are made available as required to students, teachers, tutors, and administrators
to administer budget allocations responsibly
to help ensure continuous funding of the writing center by communicating with administrators, writing grant
proposals, and seeking other sources external funding.
to publicize the writing center, including regular outreach efforts across the university
to maintain communication with the institution’s other writing programs
to coordinate efforts with the Director of the Pearce Center for Professional Communication, the Pearce
Professor, and the Campbell Professor.
to work with faculty in writing and communication across the curriculum programs
to continue professional growth through appropriate reading, courses, studies, research, and participation
in professional organizations, workshops, and/or conferences
to conduct writing center research
to organize all activities of the writing center
to provide for regular reports on the activities, progress, and problems of the writing center
to provide for regular and thorough evaluation of the writing center’s program.
to oversee the continued operation of the writing center during summer sessions
*This position description is adapted from a statement created for the International Writing Centers Association
and is available at writingcenters.org.
Department of English Bylaws
Approved by Faculty 25 November 1996
Updated May 8, 2012
Article I: Membership
Section 1. Voting membership shall consist of all faculty who hold at least half-time status in the Department of
English.
Section 2. Professors emeriti(ae), adjunct faculty, and other non-voting faculty members may attend department meetings and express an opinion on any issue.
Section 3. At the onset of each academic evaluation cycle, the department chair will designate in the Faculty
Activity System (FAS) those faculty who shall be members of the Graduate Faculty in accordance with three
criteria: (1) that they should normally hold a tenured or tenure-track position; (2) that they should have demonstrated research productivity in the last three years; and (3) that they should hold an appropriate terminal degree and/or equivalent professional expertise with approval from the Personnel Committee as stipulated by the
Clemson University Faculty Manual.
Article II: Officers
Section 1. The officers of the department faculty shall be a presiding officer, a secretary, and a parliamentarian .
Section 2. The department chair shall be the presiding officer for all department meetings. If unable to attend a
meeting, the chair shall appoint a faculty member to act as presiding officer.
Section 3. The secretary shall be appointed annually by the chair. The secretary may assist the department
chair in preparing the agenda for department meetings, shall distribute it to the meeting, shall keep accurate
minutes of all departmental meetings, and shall circulate the minutes among the department members, the department chair, and other appropriate administrative officials at least one day before the next meeting.
Section 4. The parliamentarian shall be appointed annually by the department chair from among the voting
faculty and shall ensure that Robert’s Rules of Order are followed.
Article III: Meetings
Section 1. The department chair shall call a meeting of the department faculty at least once a semester.
Section 2. The chair shall also call meetings at the request of chairpersons of standing and ad hoc committees or at the written request of 10% of the voting faculty members.
Article IV: Quorum
A quorum of the department faculty shall consist of those members present and voting. New business not on
the agenda may be discussed but not voted on.
Article V: Committees
Section 1. General Committees shall deal with matters directly affecting all department members. Membership
on General Committees shall be representative. Unless otherwise stated in these bylaws, members shall be
elected by departmental ballot for two-year terms of service. General Committees shall include the following
standing committees: the Advisory, the Curriculum, the Personnel, the Post-Tenure Review, the Sabbatical,
the Advanced Writing, and the First-Year Composition Committees.
The Advisory Committee shall advise the department chair on matters of concern brought to it by the department chair or by the faculty, except as otherwise provided for in these bylaws or in the Clemson University Faculty Manual. The Committee shall maintain these bylaws, updating them expeditiously when
revisions are approved by the faculty as specified below in Article XIII. The Committee shall also oversee the implementation of the departmental Strategic Plan. The Committee shall consist of six elected
members: two full professors, three tenured or tenure-track faculty of any rank, and one non-voting Special Faculty member. The full Advisory Committee shall elect its own chair and secretary annually. The
Committee shall meet regularly and shall report to the faculty on its activities at least once each semester, and that report shall include departmental progress on the Strategic Plan.
The Curriculum Committee shall initiate or receive, and shall evaluate and recommend for faculty approval
all revisions of the curriculum offered by the Department of English and shall monitor undergraduate directed studies. The curriculum shall be defined as all courses and all major, minor, and graduate programs offered by the department. The Committee shall consist of five faculty members: one full professor, one associate or full professor, and three tenured or tenure-track faculty of any rank, and one nonvoting Special Faculty member. In addition, a non-voting undergraduate English major shall be appointed by the department chair for a one-year term. The Committee shall elect its own chair and secretary
annually. The chair of the Committee shall be the department representative to the College Curriculum
Committee. The Committee shall also consider curricular matters involving other colleges and the University when appropriate.
The Personnel Committee shall make recommendations to the department chair on all personnel matters
involving reappointment, tenure, and promotion. The Committee shall also make recommendations to
the department chair on all appointments with immediate tenure, or with probationary periods of two
years or fewer, and on immediate appointments to a rank higher than assistant professor. The Committee may also offer advice on additional personnel matters when invited by the chair. The Committee
shall consist of seven tenured faculty members: three professors and four additional faculty members
from the rank of associate professor or above. The Committee shall be elected for two-year terms and
shall meet by the end of April to elect its own chair and secretary. In matters concerning promotion from
associate professor to professor, all professors of the Committee shall act as a special standing committee to evaluate and vote on each candidate. This special committee shall elect its own chair and secretary. The recommendations of this special committee shall be the recommendations of the Personnel
Committee on the matter of promotion to professor only. The chair of this special committee shall submit
these recommendations to the department chair through the chair of the Personnel Committee.
The Post-Tenure Review Committee shall review tenured faculty in accordance with the University Faculty
Manual and Department of English Bylaws and forward a copy of the review to each faculty member being reviewed and a copy to the College Dean. Formation of this committee is triggered by the circumstances outlined in Article VIII, Section 3.G, of these bylaws and in the Clemson University Faculty Manual, Part IV, H, Section 4 (pp. 23-24). In such cases, the department chair will inform the Advisory
Committee that elections must be held to determine the members of a Post-Tenure Review Committee.
The Post-Tenure Review Committee shall consist of two elected English Department faculty, who are at
or above the rank of the faculty being reviewed, and one member from outside of the department, chosen according to the policies outlined in Article VIII, Section 5, of these bylaws. Members shall serve for
a term of one year, and the committee shall elect its own chair.
The Sabbatical Committee shall review applications and supporting materials to make recommendations to
the Dean of the College in review of sabbatical leave proposals. The committee’s written recommendation shall be forwarded directly to the Dean of the College with a copy to the applicant. The Sabbatical
Committee shall consist of the Department Chair and three tenured members of the faculty. The De-
partment Chair shall chair the committee, and the elected members will serve for one year.
The Advanced Writing Committee shall advise on the advanced writing courses, shall initiate or receive, and
shall evaluate and recommend to the Curriculum Committee all changes in the advanced writing curriculum as well as the writing minors. The Advanced Writing Committee shall advise on matters pertaining to
the department’s commitment to advanced writing in general, which includes such emphases as advanced composition, professional communication, creative writing, digital literacy, writing and publication
studies, and writing tutor training. The Advanced Writing Committee shall support the Client-based program and other advanced writing annual events, awards, and resources. The Committee shall consist of
five appointed faculty members who shall elect their own chair.
The First-Year Composition Committee shall advise and aid the Director of First-Year Composition in administering the First-Year Composition program, including the evaluation of the performance of graduate
students as teaching assistants in this program. The Committee shall consist of seven members: the Director of First-Year Composition, who shall act as chair, four other regular faculty members elected by
the department, and, appointed by the department chair with the concurrence of the chair of the Committee, one non-voting member from the pool of graduate students currently teaching first-year composition and a second non-voting member who is the program director’s graduate assistant. Both non-voting
members shall not participate in the review of other teaching assistants.
Section 2. Special Committees shall advise, serve, staff, and/or administer a particular group, function, subdiscipline, or program within the department. Special Committees shall consist primarily of faculty with specialized knowledge of or interest in the concerns of each particular committee. Members shall be appointed to
Special Committees by the department chair in consultation with the Advisory Committee and other appropriate faculty. Unless otherwise stated in these bylaws, terms of service on Special Committees shall be for two
years. The initially appointed members shall draw lots to determine the length of their service; half (or in committees with an odd number of members, one fewer than half of the members will serve for a single year, the
rest for two years. Special Committees shall include the following standing committees: the Assessment, the
Bachelor of Arts in English, the Honors, the Master of Arts in English, the Master of Arts in Professional Communication, the Sophomore Literature, the Public Speakers, and the Scheduling Committees.
The Assessment Committee shall coordinate the annual assessment of the English major. The Committee
shall explore, evaluate, and recommend assessment strategies to the department for its approval and
oversee their implementation. The Committee shall consist of the Chair of the Advanced Writing Committee, the Chair of the Curriculum Committee, the Director of First Year Composition, the Director of
Undergraduate Studies, the Director(s) of Graduate Studies, and one other member from the rank of full
professor. The Committee shall elect its own chair annually.
The Bachelor of Arts in English Committee shall advise the Director of Undergraduate Studies on all matters
concerning the B.A. in English. It shall consider such issues as advising and proposed changes in distribution requirements for the major and shall serve as the primary advisory board in matters relating to
courses in the major, and shall bring proposals with needed changes to the Curriculum Committee. Under the direction of the Director of Undergraduate Studies, the BA in English Committee will solicit and
evaluate proposals for senior seminars. The committee shall consist of five faculty members: the Director of Undergraduate Studies, who shall act as chair; one professor; one associate professor; one assistant professor; and one other member at any rank in the tenured and tenure-track faculty.
The Honors and Awards Committee shall invite, receive, and evaluate proposals by the department faculty
for regularly scheduled English honors courses, and it shall recommend proposals and instructors to the
department chair. The Committee shall also invite, receive, and evaluate project proposals from qualified
students for the department senior division honors program, and it shall recommend project proposals to
the department chair. It shall also appoint project advisers and committees for the department’s senior
division honors program. It shall also select winners of all department awards, including the Douglass
Award and the Lucy Rollin Award. The Committee shall consist of five members: the Honors and
Awards Coordinator, who shall be its chair and who shall represent the department on the AAH Student
Honors/Awards Committee; the Director of First-Year Composition; the Director of Undergraduate Studies; and the two Directors of Graduate Studies.
The Master of Arts in English Committee shall advise the Director of Graduate Studies on all matters concerning the MA in English. The Committee shall consist of six members: the Director of Graduate Studies, who shall act as chair, and four other members of the graduate faculty. (The “graduate faculty” shall
be defined as those faculty members in the Department of English who hold the rank of assistant professor or higher.) In addition, one graduate MA-English student shall be elected by the MA-English students for a one-year term.
The Master of Arts in Professional Communication Committee shall advise the Director Graduate Studies on
all matters concerning the MA in Professional Communication. The Committee shall consist of the Director of Graduate Studies, who shall act as chair, and all current MAPC faculty. In addition, one graduate
MAPC student shall be elected by the MAPC students for a one-year term.
The Sophomore Literature Committee shall oversee the sophomore literature courses, shall initiate or receive, and shall evaluate and recommend to the Curriculum Committee all changes in the sophomore
literature curriculum. The Committee shall consist of five faculty members, at least three of which will be
tenured or tenure-track, and shall elect its own chair annually from those tenured or tenure track members.
The Public Events Committee shall maintain the Department of English’s tradition of distinguished guest
speakers. It shall draft and publish a calendar of public events, send periodic requests to faculty for
events information, initiate programs, invite speakers, write proposals, negotiate funding, draft press releases, design advertising, plan and implement such speakers’ activities as guest lectures, readings,
class visitations, colloquia, seminars, and receptions. The Committee shall consist of five faculty members: the Associate Chair (who shall serve as the committee’s chair), the Director of MATRF, and three
faculty members at any rank.
The Scheduling Committee shall consider the course preference forms and the needs of the department to
make recommendations to the Chair concerning course assignments. It shall consist of the Department
Chair, the Associate Chair, the Director of Undergraduate Studies, the Graduate Directors, the Director
of First Year Writing, the Director of Advanced Writing and the Scheduler.
Section 3. Ad Hoc Committees shall be appointed by the department chair as need arises to advise and assist
in special areas not specifically covered in these bylaws. Ad Hoc Committees would include, for example,
Search and Screening Committees for all new appointments to the department faculty. In appointing members
to such committees, the chair shall consult with the Advisory Committee and other committees as appropriate.
The department chair shall designate the chair of such committees.
Section 4. An annual election will be held during the Fall semester for the following AAH committees, to which
an English department representative is required as per Article X of the bylaws of the Faculty of the College of
Arts, Architecture and Humanities:
AAH Student Honors / Awards Committee (Any Tenured or TT faculty eligible)
AAH Faculty Awards Committee (the individual elected to this position must be a Full or Associate Professor)
AAH Research Committee (The individual elected to this position must be a Full or Associate Professor)
Article VI: Appointments
Section 1. A search shall be conducted for all appointments; for temporary or unexpected replacements, or for
individuals being considered for the rank of lecturer, the department chair shall exercise direct authority but
shall, nonetheless, consult with the Personnel Committee prior to each appointment. All searches, including
those pertaining to department chairs, shall be conducted in accordance with Parts II.J-K, III.D-F, and IV “Personnel Practices,” Sections A and B: “Procedures for Faculty Appointments” and “Affirmative Action Policies
and Procedures for the Recruitment and Appointment of Faculty and Administrators” outlined in the Clemson
University Faculty Manual.
Section 2. For tenured and tenure-track appointments, the chair of the appropriate Ad Hoc Search and
Screening Committee shall collect and file all available applications and make them available for perusal by the
tenured and tenure-track faculty. After the deadline for applications, the Committee shall collect and examine
the files and shall present to the department chair a list of names for possible interviews. After campus interviews have taken place with finalist candidates, the department chair shall hold a meeting of the tenured and
tenure-track faculty to discuss their support and to take a vote. The candidate preferred by simple majority in
this manner shall be recommended by the chair to the dean for the appointment. If no appointment can be
made from this process as stipulated in Article XI, the department chair shall seek additional nominations from
the Committee.
Section 3. In the recommendations to the dean, the department chair shall indicate the degree of faculty support for each recommended candidate.
Section 4. The department chair shall announce vacancies in the department’s non-classified administrative
positions and give interested faculty the opportunity to apply. These administrative positions shall be filled by
the chair in consultation with the Advisory Committee. Faculty members shall hold these positions for specified
terms, which may be renewed if mutually agreeable to the chair and the holder of the position. In consultation
with the Advisory Committee, the chair may remove faculty from these positions if deemed necessary. The duties and responsibilities of these positions shall be specified in writing and reviewed with each person who
holds the position. Proposals for the abolition of an existing administrative position, the substantial redefinition
of a position, or the creation of a new position shall be presented to the faculty for discussion.
Section 5. The department chair shall recommend the appointment of lecturers. Lecturers hold a nontenurable position, renewable annually, for a maximum of nine years. Lecturers shall be evaluated annually by
the department chair and by the personnel committee. Following a lecturer’s fourth year of service, the department shall conduct a comprehensive review, either as a matter of course or as a response to the lecturer’s
request for promotion to senior lecturer. If a lecturer has not requested such a promotion during the eighth year
or has been denied such a promotion to senior lecturer, the lecturer shall not be reappointed after the ninth
year. A lecturer who has completed his or her fourth year on or before May 16 of a given year shall be entitled
to an additional year of employment if notice of termination occurs after May 16. Termination on or before May
16 would not require the additional year of employment. A lecturer need not hold a terminal degree but will
demonstrate particular expertise clearly needed by the department. Lecturers may be nominated from inside or
outside the faculty by the department chair, who shall in each case solicit the written recommendation of the
Personnel Committee to accompany the chair’s recommendation to the dean.
Article VII: Reappointment, Tenure, and Promotion
(See Appendix A, Personnel Committee Working Procedure)
Section 1. Tenure-Track faculty members in the Department of English are expected to engage in nationally or
internationally peer-reviewed scholarly, critical, creative, and/ or pedagogical activities; to be effective classroom teachers; to perform assigned department, college, and university service and administrative duties satisfactorily; and to comply with department, college, and university policies. Non-tenure-track faculty are not required to engage in service or conduct research, so they are not evaluated in these areas. The criteria for the
procedures used making reappointment, tenure, and promotion recommendations shall be consistent with the
relevant statements in the Clemson University Faculty Manual.
Section 2. Each untenured tenure-track and non-tenure-track faculty member eligible for reappointment shall
be reviewed annually by the Personnel Committee. The recommendation of the Committee shall be forwarded
to the department chair, who shall forward this recommendation, along with his/her separate recommendation,
to the dean of the college. The department chair shall present a copy of the two department recommendations
to the faculty member.
Section 3. Tenure: Criteria
The faculty member shall:
normally hold the appropriate terminal degree;
present a record of
significant nationally or internationally peer-reviewed scholarly, critical, creative, and/ or pedagogical activities such as publications (printed or electronic), papers read or presentations given, and participation on panels and in seminars;
other professional activities and recognitions such as, but not limited to, consulting, serving as an association officer, serving on professional committees, receiving awards, obtaining grants, and developing informational technology;
demonstrate a record of effective teaching that shall be documented by student evaluations, peer evaluations, or other appropriate means;
present a record of contributions in such areas as serving on department, college, or university commissions, committees, or councils; serving as student adviser; assisting in student activities; and performing
community services related to his/her professional training and/ or activities;
present evidence of strong potential for growth in the profession.
Section 4. Tenure Recommendation Procedures
Normally, the Personnel Committee shall conduct a special review of the faculty member’s performance to
date during his/her third year of tenure-track service at Clemson University.
The committee shall request that the department chair inform the faculty member in writing that the thirdyear review is to be conducted and ask the faculty member in writing to provide the following materials
to the chair of the Committee:
a current curriculum vitae;
copies of publications, drafts of manuscripts accepted for publication, copies of papers read, and any
other relevant matter pertaining to the faculty member’s professional accomplishments;
evaluations of teaching and any other relevant matter pertaining to the faculty member’s teaching;
any statement the faculty member may wish to make pertaining to his/her professional standing and
his/her plans for the future.
The Committee shall forward its findings to the department chair, who shall present a copy of these findings
to the faculty member.
Normally, the Committee shall conduct a formal tenure review in the faculty member’s sixth year of tenuretrack service at Clemson University.
The Committee shall request that the department chair inform the faculty member in writing that the formal
tenure review is to be conducted and ask the faculty member in writing to provide the chair of the Committee with items 1-4 listed under Section 4-B above and other documents that may be required by the
provost. Additionally, in the spring semester before the faculty member’s formal tenure review, the Chair
of the Committee will ask the faculty member in writing for a list of outside referees to whom the Committee will send the faculty member’s material. The Chair of the Committee and the Department Chair
may also identify three additional referees.
The chair of the Committee, in consultation with the Department Chair, will identify three outside referees
from the faculty member’s list. The chair of the Committee will send the faculty member’s material to
these three outside referees as well as to the three outside referees identified by the chair of the Committee and the Department Chair.
The Committee shall have the right to ask the faculty member to appear in person before the Committee.
The faculty member shall have the right to ask to appear in person before the Committee, and the Committee shall honor this request.
The recommendation of the Committee shall be either to grant or to deny tenure. This recommendation shall
be forwarded in writing with accompanying written explanation to the department chair.
The department chair shall forward this recommendation, along with his/her own separate recommendation,
to the dean of the college.
The department chair shall present the faculty member with a copy of the two department recommendations.
Section 5. Promotion: Criteria
Criteria for Promotion to Assistant Professor
The faculty member shall normally hold the appropriate terminal degree;
The faculty member shall demonstrate a record of effective teaching that shall be documented by student evaluations, peer evaluations, or other appropriate means;
The faculty member shall demonstrate potential for scholarly, critical, creative, and/or other commensurate professional accomplishments.
Criteria for Promotion to Associate Professor
The criteria for promotion to associate professor shall include Section 3 Tenure: Criteria.
Promotion to associate professor shall be recommended on the basis of substantial nationally or internationally peer-reviewed scholarly, critical, creative, pedagogical, and/or other commensurate professional accomplishments.
Except in unusual circumstances, promotion to associate professor shall not be considered until the faculty member has been granted tenure.
Criteria for Promotion to Professor
The criteria for promotion shall include Section 3 Tenure: Criteria.
Usually, the faculty member shall present no less than nine years of relevant service.
Promotion to professor shall be recommended on the basis of distinguished national or international
recognition for a contribution to the profession through peer-reviewed scholarly, critical, creative,
pedagogical, and/or other commensurate professional accomplishments, beyond that needed for
promotion to associate professor.
Section 6. Promotion Recommendation: Procedures
Nomination for promotion shall be made in writing to the department chair no later than April 15 of the academic year preceding the year in which consideration shall be given. This nomination shall be made either by the faculty member him/herself or by any tenured or tenure-track faculty member of the Department of English. If the nomination is made by a faculty member on behalf of another, the depart-
ment chair shall secure the latter’s consent in writing.
The department chair shall inform the chair of the Personnel Committee in writing that the faculty member
has been nominated for promotion.
The department chair shall ask in writing that the faculty member provide the chair of the Committee with
items 1-4 in Section 4-B, Tenure Recommendation: Procedures. Additionally, the faculty member will
provide the chair of the Committee with a list of outside referees, as described in Section 4-E, above.
The chair of the Committee, in consultation with the Department Chair, will identify additional outside referees.
The chair of the Committee will send the faculty member’s materials to the 6 outside referees.
The Committee shall forward to the department chair in writing either a positive or a negative recommendation with accompanying written explanation. (See Article V, Section l-C, Personnel Committee for recommendations of promotion to professor.)
The department chair shall make his/her own separate positive or negative recommendation.
The department chair shall present the faculty member with a copy of the two department recommendations.
The faculty member shall have the right to withdraw from further consideration at any time.
The department chair shall forward the two department recommendations to the dean of the college.
Article VIII: Post-Tenure Review
Section 1. Purpose and Scope
Faculty members in the Department of English are expected to engage in nationally or internationally peerrenewed scholarly, critical, and/ or creative activities; to be effective classroom teachers; to perform assigned
department, college, and university service and administrative duties satisfactorily; and to comply with department, college, and university policies.
All faculty members holding a tenured faculty position shall be subject to post-tenure review.
[For Further information on post-tenure review, see the Clemson University Faculty Manual].
Section 2. Guidelines.
The primary bases for post-tenure review are the individual’s contributions in the areas of teaching; scholarly, critical, and/or creative activities; and service.
Guidelines must be flexible enough to accommodate faculty members with different professional responsibilities
Post-tenure review shall not infringe upon the accepted standards of academic freedom. Furthermore, sex,
age, ethnicity, and other factors unrelated to an individual’s professional qualifications shall not be considered in the review process.
The chairperson of the academic department and the dean of the college must not be involved directly in the
peer review process at the department level.
The Post-Tenure Review must be linked to the annual reviews.
Section 3. Schedule for Post-Tenure Review.
In addition to yearly Form 3 evaluations, all tenured faculty shall be scheduled for a post-tenure review.
For each tenured faculty member’s first post-tenure review, the department chair, in consultation with the
Personnel Committee, shall rank all tenured faculty according to their length of service since last promotion. The first one-sixth of the faculty by longevity since promotion shall be reviewed in the first year after
institution of post-tenure review at Clemson, with the additional tenured faculty reviewed in balanced increments through the first six years.
After the first post-tenure review, tenured faculty will be reviewed every six years thereafter.
Faculty who are tenured during this initial six-year period will be reviewed six years after their tenure and
every six years thereafter.
Sabbaticals and leaves do not count in the six years between post-tenure reviews. Both half-year and fullyear sabbaticals and leaves will count as one full year in determining faculty schedules for post-tenure
review.
Whenever any faculty member is scheduled for regular review or in a period of post-tenure review remediation, a Post-Tenure Review Committee, separate from the Personnel Committee, will be constituted in
accordance with these bylaws. Faculty members subject to a post-tenure review with respect to paragraph 3.G, below, will be recused from participating in this second stage process.
The department chair will review the ratings received on the most recent available series of five years of annual performance reviews, as specified in the Best Practices for Post-Tenure Review (#3). Merit salary
increments are based on these annual performance reviews, as is consistent with the Best Practices for
Post-Tenure Review (#9). All tenured faculty members receiving no more than one (of five) annual performance rating of “fair,” “marginal,” or “unsatisfactory” will receive a Post Tenure Review rating of “satisfactory.” These faculty members are thereby exempt from Sections 4-7, below.
All tenured faculty members receiving two or more annual performance ratings of “fair,” “marginal,” or unsatisfactory will be reviewed according to the directions outlined in Sections 4-7, below.
Section 4. Required Material for Post-Tenure Review (This section applies only to faculty identified in Section
3.G, above.)
The faculty member shall present copies of each of the following to the Committee and to the Chair:
An updated curriculum vitae that indicates
significant scholarly, critical, and/or creative activities such as publications (printed or electronic),papers
read or presentations given, and participation on panels and in seminars;
other professional activities and recognitions such as consulting, serving as an association officer, serving on professional committees, receiving awards, obtaining grants, and developing informational
technology;
a record of contributions in such areas as serving on department, college, or university commissions,
committees, or councils;
serving as student adviser; assisting in student activities; and performing community services related to
his/her professional training and/ or activities;
continued growth in the profession.
A summary of teaching evaluations from the last five years, including one complete set of evaluations from
each year, representing at least two different courses.
Detailed information about the outcomes of any sabbatical leave awarded within the six year period prior to
the post-tenure review.
Plan for continued professional growth.
Copies of the faculty member’s annual performance reviews covering the time since the initial tenure or last
promotion, whichever is most recent, or since the last post-tenure review.
Any additional material requested of the candidate from the Post-Tenure Review Committee.
Section 5. Constitution of the Committee (This section applies only to faculty identified in Section 3.G, above.)
The Post-Tenure Review Committee shall consist of
Two English Department faculty, elected by the faculty. Since candidates must be evaluated by faculty of
their rank or both departmental members must be full professors during any year in which any of the
candidates up for post-tenure review is a full professor.
One member from outside the Department, at any rank. The outside member of the committee will be selected as follows:
Each faculty member coming up for post-tenure review shall, by September 15 of the year of the review,
provide the two departmental members of the Post-Tenure Review Committee with a list of 3-5 acceptable outside candidates.
The two departmental members will secure the agreement of one of the candidates from each faculty
member’s list to serve on that faculty member’s committee
Section 6. Procedures (This section applies only to faculty identified in Section 3.G, above.)
Normally, a faculty member is scheduled for post-tenure review during his/her sixth year following his/her
tenure or most recent promotion, whichever is more recent.
The Personnel Committee shall inform, in writing, those faculty members who will be
subject to post-tenure review; the Personnel Committee, at the same time, will also provide the department
chair with this list of faculty.
The faculty member shall have the right to ask to appear in person before the PostTenure Review Committee, and the Committee shall honor this request.
The Post-Tenure Review Committee shall rate the faculty member as Excellent, Satisfactory, or Unsatisfactory. The Chair of this Committee shall present the faculty member with a copy of the evaluation, and the
faculty member shall have two weeks’ time to provide a response. Both the committee report and the
faculty member’s response will be submitted to the College Dean.
The Department Chair shall rate the faculty member as Excellent, Satisfactory, or
Unsatisfactory. The Chair shall present the faculty member with a copy of the evaluation, and the faculty
member shall have two weeks’ time to provide a response. Both the chair’s report and the faculty member’s response will be submitted to the College Dean. For procedure beyond the department, see Clemson University Faculty Manual, Part. IV, H (pp. 24-25).
If both the Post-Tenure Review Committee and the department chair rate (or either the Post-Tenure Review
Committee or the department chair rates) the candidate as satisfactory, then the candidate’s final rating
shall be satisfactory. If both the Post-Tenure Review Committee and the chair rate the candidate as unsatisfactory, the candidate’s final rating shall be unsatisfactory.
If the candidate’s final rating is satisfactory, the dean will forward that information to the provost in summary
form without appending any candidate materials. If the candidate’s final rating is unsatisfactory, the dean
will forward all materials to the provost.
Section 7. Remediation
A faculty member who receives an unsatisfactory rating shall, in accordance with the Clemson University
Faculty Manual’s guidelines on post-tenure review, meet with the department chair to prepare a program
of remediation and meet at least twice yearly for the subsequent three years to discuss the faculty
member’s progress. The faculty member will be reviewed each year by the Post-Tenure Review Committee and the department chair, both of whom shall supply written evaluations.
A sabbatical or any leaves shall not count as part of the three-year period.
At the end of the three-year remediation period, another post-tenure review will be conducted. If dismissal is
recommended, the case will be subject to the rules and regulations outlined in the Clemson University
Faculty Manual, Section K.
Article IX: Curricular Matters
Section 1. The Curriculum Committee shall follow the University’s procedures for all curriculum changes.
Section 2. The Committee may act for the regular faculty as a whole when a proposed change unanimously
approved by the Committee involves only one of the following: rewording a course description, retitling a
course, or altering the last two digits of a course number. Any other type of curricular change shall be presented for regular faculty action at a department meeting.
Section 3. No proposals for curricular changes shall be forwarded to the next higher administrative unit until
approved by the Committee, the regular faculty, and the department chair, except as otherwise provided for in
these bylaws.
Section 4. At least one week shall pass between the posting and/or distribution to the regular faculty of the
proposals for curricular changes and the meeting at which they are to be discussed.
Section 5. When the Committee considers curricular matters outside the department, it shall keep the regular
faculty apprised by memoranda and shall hold meetings for regular faculty discussion when appropriate.
Article X: Elections
Section 1. Routine spring elections shall be conducted according to the following procedures. The Advisory
Committee shall prepare the following lists: (1) department members eligible to vote and to serve on committees, (2) current members of all committees who have continuing terms, and (3) all positions open for nominations. By the last Friday in March, the Committee shall distribute these lists to all department members. Voting
members shall then have one week to nominate eligible persons. Nominations shall be submitted in writing,
and the committee shall secure the nominees’ permission. If department members should fail to nominate any
candidates for an open position, the Committee shall act as an ad hoc nominating committee, in which case it
shall nominate at least one person more than the number to be elected for each vacancy.
Section 2. Election shall be by written secret ballot to be distributed no later than the second Friday in April,
and the Committee shall announce results no later than the third Friday in April. If run-off elections are required, ballots for them shall be distributed simultaneously with the announcement of the runoff. These shall be
secret ballots, to be returned by hand or by mail to the main office of the department. Run-off votes shall be
due no later than two working days after distribution of the ballots, and the results shall be reported no later
than the fourth Friday in April. Each voting member shall vote for only as many candidates as there are positions open. Elections shall be determined by plurality. Runoffs shall be required for ties. If there is a second tie
for the same position, the Committee shall vote to break the tie.
Section 3. Special elections shall follow the above procedures, with the Committee setting time
schedules as necessary.
Section 4. The first election after implementation of these bylaws shall be conducted at the end of the Spring
Semester.
Article XI: Voting Procedures at Meetings
Section 1. All matters brought before the department that require a vote shall be resolved by a simple majority
of those eligible voters present and voting, except for amendments to these bylaws.
Section 2. The method of voting shall be by raising the hand unless a member requests a secret ballot voting
at the meeting
Section 3. Absentee ballots are allowed on items published in the meeting agenda. Absentee ballots will be
nullified if those items are amended during the meeting.
Section 4. When a tie vote occurs in a department meeting, in all instances save on voting for tenure-track
faculty appointments as outlined in Article VI, the motion will have failed. When a tie occurs in a vote by the
regular faculty for a tenure-track appointment, the Ad Hoc Search Committee will convene to discuss and vote
until the committee comes up with a decision to break the department’s tie.
Article XII: Parliamentary Authority
The current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order shall prevail in all department meetings.
Article XIII: Amendments
Section 1. Any proposed amendments to these bylaws shall be advertised and circulated in writing to all department members at least one week prior to their consideration.
Section 2. Amendments and additions shall be approved by a two-thirds majority of all tenured and tenuretrack faculty.
Section 3. Amendments and additions approved by the faculty shall be introduced into this document by the
Chair of the Advisory Committee no later than the end of spring semester, following elections to the departmental General Committees outlined in Article V, Section 1.
Article XIV: Ratification
These bylaws shall take effect upon (1) being ratified by a two-thirds majority of the voting members present
and voting (see Art XIII, Sec 2), and (2) being approved by the department chair, the dean of the college, and
the provost of the University. Upon ratification, these bylaws must be filed appropriately with the office of the
provost of the university.
Department of English Bylaws – Appendix A
TENURE-TRACK FACULTY
This is not an exhaustive document. Nor is it a contract or a checklist. It is a holistic overview of the Committee’s review process. We encourage junior faculty to read this document carefully and to take questions to the
Chair of the Personnel Committee and to the Chair of the department.
In the third year of the probationary term, faculty have a mid-track review and the committee expects a significantly more advanced professional profile than at the beginning of their career. Faculty undergoing the thirdyear review are asked to submit copies of publications and accepted manuscripts, and teaching materials including a range of student evaluations from their first three years—in accordance with Article VII, Section 4B of
the Department’s Bylaws.
For tenure and promotion, we look for a coherent research agenda, with evidence of productivity, developed
throughout the probationary period; sustained evidence of teaching excellence; and a sustained commitment to
service.
Materials: Faculty members are asked to submit a current C.V.; representative syllabi and policies; complete
sets of student evaluations from at least two and preferably three classes from the previous academic year
(ideally representing different course numbers, if applicable); a statement of course releases for service, administration, and/or research; a print-out of the “Distribution of Effort” page from FAS; and a one-page state-
ment of purpose outlining achievements here, from awards to committee work to publications to conferences,
and a career plan. They are also invited to include any supporting materials that illustrate their career development. A member of the Personnel Committee visits and evaluates one class session of one of the faculty
member’s courses. Faculty in their tenure review year should submit a complete portfolio as requested by the
Dean’s guidelines for tenure.
Teaching: We evaluate teaching through student evaluations, materials submitted by the instructor, and a peer
evaluation of a class session, ideally over at least four semesters of teaching at Clemson. On teaching evaluations, we look for numerical scores at or above average for the department and/or course level, and we note
places where the faculty member might aim for improvement. We also read student comments carefully, looking for trends of concern and commendation. We evaluate syllabi, course policies, etc. for clarity, compliance
with university regulations, and richness of assigned material. During the peer-teaching evaluation, we assess
faculty members on the effectiveness of their teaching methods, whether they be lecture, group work, class
discussion, or some combination of these. We also look for student engagement in class.
Research: We evaluate research based on recent publications, whether digital or print (where in both cases
we consider the piece published, the medium of publication, and the place of publication in light of the faculty
member’s position, area of activity, and research agenda); grant applications and receipt of sponsored research awards and/or fellowships (where we consider the amount, competitive nature, and source of funding);
conference presentations (where again the venue of presentation is significant); proposals in circulation; works
in progress; and plans for work to be undertaken. We look for a “research agenda,” or a sense that faculty
members envision a coherence or purpose to the work they are undertaking, whether it be a published book
project, a series of articles, a CD-ROM, a cluster of creative works, etc. We are open to a wide array of professional work—anything that can be peer-reviewed. In evaluating the venues of publication or presentation,
we look especially for works in nationally or internationally recognized peer-reviewed electronic media, journals, and conferences, and for respected university and/or commercial presses. Historically, and most generally, we have been interested in at least a single-authored book or its equivalent, and a set of at least 2 to 3
separate articles.
Service: We expect tenure-track faculty to engage in the governance of the department and the university.
During their first year, faculty are typically not expected to serve on major committees. By their third year, however, we look for increased participation in service, such as in major departmental committees, search committees, college-wide committees, university committees, and/or professional organizations. We give special
commendation to those faculty who take on large roles, such as directing a program, taking on a large role in a
curricular initiative, or serving in an administrative position within the department.
NON-TENURE-TRACK FACULTY
Non-tenure-track faculty are not required to engage in service or conduct research, and they are not evaluated
in these areas.
Materials: Faculty members are asked to submit a current C.V.; representative syllabi and policies; complete
sets of student evaluations from at least two courses in the previous academic year (if available); and a onepage statement of purpose outlining achievements, and teaching goals. They are also invited to include any
supporting materials. A member of the Personnel Committee will also visit and evaluate one class session of
one of the faculty member’s courses.
Teaching: Non-tenure-track faculty are evaluated solely on their teaching, unless they have accepted nonteaching responsibilities assigned by the chair. We evaluate teaching through student evaluations, materials
submitted by the instructor, and a peer evaluation of a class session. On teaching evaluations, we look for
numerical scores at or above average for the department and/or course level, and we note places where the
faculty member might aim for improvement. We also read student comments carefully, looking for trends of
concern and commendation. We evaluate syllabi, course policies, etc. for clarity, compliance with university
regulations, and richness of assigned material. During the peer teaching evaluation, we assess the faculty
member on the effectiveness of their teaching methods, whether they be lecture, group work, class discussion,
or some combination of these. We pay attention to student response to the teacher’s methods, ranging from
astute interest to participation in discussion.
Assigned non-teaching activities: If faculty have been assigned non-classroom responsibilities—such as coordinating the client-based writing program, or directing a student creative writing series, or acting as scheduler
for the department—these activities are considered in their evaluation.